Lacking Leadership?

Leadership is important in sports. It is a necessary element for any team to succeed. According to Mat Latos, the Reds are without leaders.

In an interview with Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the former pitcher of the Reds claimed that the Reds had no leaders on the team after Scott Rolen and Bronson Arroyo left. Apparently Latos said that the team was a “circus.” He said that the Reds “had guys with two years in the big leagues, in the clubhouse, on their phones, laying down in the video room, just hanging out during games, not in the dugout, not cheering their teammates on. Our dugout looked like a ghost town.”

Aside from claiming there was a lack of leadership in the locker room, Latos also said that he felt the medical staff of the Reds rushed him back from his injury. It is important to keep in mind that these are the words of only one man, not half the team, and former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo, one of the men Latos said to be a veteran leader on the Reds in 2012 and in 2013, attempted to offer some insight on why Latos sounded off on the Reds.

In an interview with Nick Piecoro of the “Arizona Republic,” Arroyo said, “Mat speaks his mind. Mat's also a guy who, depending on the day you catch him, you can get completely different answers, because if he's agitated by something, he's going to let you know how he feels at the time and it doesn't always encompass how he feels every single day. Sometimes we say things — he can be a very impulsive guy and that's part of what makes him who he is.”

Current Reds players Homer Bailey and Devin Mesoraco commented on the Latos siuation to Reds beat writer Mark Sheldon. Both Bailey and Mesoraco said that they believe the medical staff did an outstanding job. In regards to why Latos made those claims against the Reds, Bailey said, “Those were his comments. I don’t know any other players that would go that route. It was the way he chose to go. I think you’ll find the majority of the people here have a sense of professionalism and are probably not going to comment on it. However, you all holding your pads and microphones have gotten to be around Mathew enough and can form your own opinion.”

The only people who know if what Latos said is true or not are the players and other people involved with the team. Regardless, the Reds should take what Latos said and try to use it as rallying point for the season. Hopefully these comments light a fire under the team and serve as a launch pad to help the Reds get back to their winning ways.

It apparently fired up new Reds outfielder Marlon Byrd. In an interview with C. Trent Rosecrans about the comments of Latos, Byrd said, “He should worry about his own damn business. He's with the Marlins now.”

I believe a new leader has emerged. Hopefully his fired up attitude spreads to the rest of the team.

Go Redlegs!